Explore Featured Degree Options in Education

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education prepares you to become a transformative K–12 teacher. Through live online classes and enriching field experiences in your community, you can earn your MAT in less than 18 months without relocating.

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers an online Master of Education in human development counseling with a specialization in school counseling for students interested in becoming school counselors and making a meaningful difference in K–12 settings.

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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Illinois

Important Note: Education licensure requirements, statistics and other information are subject to change. Teach.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. (Last update: 10/31/2016)

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Prerequisite Coursework in Illinois

All states require that prospective teachers have at least a Bachelor’s Degree and complete a state-approved teacher preparation program to receive certification. Some states also have specific course and credit-hour requirements.

Teacher education programs generally consist of two elements—curricula and fieldwork. Curricula generally includes instruction on teaching fundamental skills, pedagogy (the science of teaching) and preparing students to research, design and implement learning experiences in their field of study. Fieldwork often includes field observations, internships, student teaching or a combination of all three. Check with your teacher preparation program or the Illinois Department of Education for more information about specific requirements.

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Illinois Teacher Certification Programs

Teacher Certification Programs can be taken online or on-site. They typically include an educational theory and classroom skills seminar and a fieldwork component of student teaching in the area. A list of accredited teacher preparation programs in Illinois can be found on the Illinois Department of Education website.

Initial Teaching Certifications

To earn your Illinois teaching credential you will have to complete the appropriate amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. Illinois has three levels of certification: Initial (4 years), Standard (5 years, renewable) and Master (10 years, renewable). Learn more about getting your teaching credential by visiting the Illinois Board of Education Educator Licensure page.

Earn recognition of your ability to develop and deliver a memorable teaching experience when you receive a premier certificate from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX, upon successful course completion.

Alternative Certification in Illinois

Illinois has a variety of Alternate Teaching Certification programs. The Alternative Teacher Certification programs consist of a one-year intensive course, followed by a year of full-time teaching and mentoring ending with a comprehensive assessment.

There is also the Resident Teacher Certification, which allows a teacher to work in a public school while completing a Master’s in Education or a Master of the Arts in Teaching program. Candidates for Resident Teacher Certification must pass the ILTS Test of Academic Proficiency and complete a six-week intensive teacher preparation course. Learn more about alternative certification options by visiting the Illinois Board of Education website.

The Troops to Teachers program helps members of the military transition to a teaching career. In order to participate, you must have or earn a four-year college degree. Participants can receive a stipend to cover certification expenses if they teach in a high-needs school or in a district where a high percentage of students of students live below the poverty level.

Illinois Teacher Certification Information & Links

Transferring Your Certification

Certification Reciprocity in Illinois

Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers certified in one state to teach in another state. To find out which other state teaching licenses can be used in Illinois, or for more specific questions about your situation, contact the Illinois State Board of Education.

Illinois Teacher Salary and Incentives

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average teacher in Illinois makes $66,000 per year, which is 132% of the state average income, making it one of the highest paying states for teachers. Teachers in Illinois can earn $20,343-55,474 as a beginning Bachelor’s holding salary, and up to $139,241 for the highest level of degree and experience. Look at the 2014-2015 Illinois Teacher Salary Study to find out more.

Illinois also offers loan forgiveness as an incentive to teach in high demand school district, like Chicago’s public schools.

Illinois Teacher Benefits and Retirement

The Teacher’s Retirement System (TRS) for Illinois aims to provide its members with assistance in managing their retirement funds, as well as additional benefits that depend on county and school districts. Teachers who began participating in the TRS before 2011 can retire at age 55 with a minimum of 35 years of service, and at 62 with a minimum of five years of service. Those who began on or after January 1, 2011, must have reached 67 years of age and completed at least 10 years of service to retire with full benefits.

Illinois Teacher Shortage Areas

The United States Department of Education defines a Teacher Shortage Area (TSA) as a subject matter or grade level within a state in which there is an inadequate supply of elementary or secondary teachers. The shortage may be caused by teaching positions that are unfilled or are filled by teachers who have temporary certification or teach in in academic subject other than their area of preparation. According to a report by the USDE Office of Postsecondary Education, Illinois has the following Teacher Shortage Area:

Career Advancement

Professional Development for Illinois Teachers

Illinois requires teachers to complete either 12 semester hours of graduate coursework or 60 Professional Development Units to move from an Initial to a Standard certificate, and 8 semester hours or a certain number of Professional Development Units in various areas for renewal of a Standard or Master certificate. Learn more about professional development for teachers by visiting the Illinois Board of Education Educator Licensure page.

Benefits of a Master's Degree in Illinois

It is no longer enough to just have years of experience for teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, the careers of teachers increasingly depend on their results in the classroom. A master's degree in the field of education can give you more educational theory and classroom skills, as well as more hands-on student teaching experience with a mentor. After a Master’s program, you will be able to achieve better results in the classroom and have more job security and higher pay.

According to a 2015 report from the Illinois Board of Education from the Illinois Board of Education, a teacher with a Master’s degree starts out earning $64,309 in Illinois, which is about $11,000 more than the maximum possible beginning salary with a Bachelor’s degree. In the Chicago Public Schools, teachers holding a Master’s degree can earn about $3,500 more per year than those with a Bachelor’s degree, given equivalent levels of experience.

Explore Featured Program Options in Education

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the USC Rossier School of Education prepares you to become a transformative K–12 teacher. Through live online classes and enriching field experiences in your community, you can earn your MAT in less than 18 months without relocating.

The 8-week Teaching and Learning Strategies for Higher Education online short course is delivered by Harvard’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX. Students in this course will engage deeply with the most relevant research on effective teaching methods in the higher education context, while refining their own practices, portfolio, and teaching philosophy.

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers an online Master of Education in human development counseling with a specialization in school counseling for students interested in becoming school counselors and making a meaningful difference in K–12 settings.